Contribution of the Community Partner in Service-Learning

In service-learning, one of the challenges is to maintain a proper balance between the students’ learning and the benefits for the community.  From the perspective of power relationship, it is often perceived that the university holds the balance of power over those of the community partners.  

The community partners play an important role in the education of the students, in partnership with the teachers of the course.  Much of the students’ learning come from exposure to the community, listening to the community, understanding the needs of the community, and providing the service to satisfy part of that need.  Without the cooperation - passive as well as active - of the community, the students’ learning will be greatly diminished.  The teacher normally decides what the students are expected to learn.   The teacher also does much of the teaching, particularly the conceptual elements.   

But the experiential aspects of the learning, the most distinctive and valuable part of service-learning, typically comes from interaction with the community.  In this sense, the community is teaching the students.  This can happen explicitly and intentionally, when the community partners explains their situation, the social issues they are suffering from, the impact of those issues, and possible remedies.  It can also happen implicitly through the students’ experience in the community, observing, interacting, investigating, and problem solving.  

The community partners invest in the relationship their time, effort, knowledge, and attention.  This contribution should be properly recognised and rewarded.  However, it appears that this may not always be the case.  The contributions of the community partners are often considered to be passive.  Or the potential contributions from the community partners may not be fully utilised.  Partly as a consequence, the university does not feel obligated to recognise and compensate the community partners for their contributions.  When benefits are created for the community, it is often considered something offered by the university out of the goodness of their heart, rather than an obligation arising from the teaching the students receive from the community.  

It is important that this aspect of the relationship between the university and the community be properly acknowledged.  The community partners’ contributions to the students’ learning should be recognised fully, in all relevant aspects.  It should be recognised at least in the following ways: 

1. In the syllabus or description of the service-learning course, who are the community partners and in what way do they contribute to the learning of the students?  
2. The community partners should be aware of the contributions expected of them.  The project is probably initiated by the university, who has a much better understanding of the relationship and related issues.  The community partners may not be very knowledgeable of the concept of service-learning.  They may not have a clear understanding of the relationship, the expectations and the capabilities of the students.  It is the responsibility of the university to help the community partners become aware of these issues.  It should be done, at least, such that the community partners can play their role effectively.   It should also be done for the sake of fairness and justice.  Both sides should have a full understanding of the relationship. 
3. How are the community partners compensated for their contributions? Most likely it is in the form of benefits for the community generated by the service projects carried out in the course.  The efforts contributed by the community partners may not be directly comparable with the benefits generated, since they can be in very different forms and natures.  But the two should be broadly comparable in order for the relationship to be fair to both parties. 

The relationship between the university and the community partner is similar to that of a contract between parties.  The university (and its students) provides a service to the community, in return, the students learn from the community.  The community provides a service to the university, by teaching the students; in return, the community receives certain benefits from the service provided by the students.  

The power relationship between the university and the community partner is on a more or less equal footing.  The roles and responsibilities of both sides are clearly understood by both sides.  When both sides are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities, there is much less chance of misunderstanding, unequal power relationships, and even exploitation, either intentionally or un-intentionally.  It will also be more conducive towards a long-term, sustainable relationship.

In practice, this recognition rules out certain types of projects.

1. Projects of little to no benefit to the community.  The students may learn a lot from the field work and experience, while doing nothing for the community. The community receives nothing in return, after spending time and effort in interacting with the students.  The students may write a report and organise events to publicise their experience and the community.  But the real and practical benefits to the specific community partner are minimal.  Even if the publicity does bring some benefits in the future, to the wider community of which the current community partner is a part, it may still be grossly unfair to the current partner, who may or may not fully realise the reality of the situation, who may enter into the relationship without full understanding.  Often, in such projects, it is claimed that the community benefit from the care and love shown by the visiting team.  Generally such claims greatly inflate the significance and true impact to the community partner.  
2. Projects in which there is a high possibility of failure.  It can be due to poor preparation, very high level of skills possessed by the students, poor understanding of the issue, unrealistic project time allocation and planning, etc.  Students can still learn a lot from a failed project, sometimes even more than successful projects.  Hence a failed project can still be very valuable to the university and its students. But the benefits to the community is minimal.  Often it can even cause loss and damage, when the community puts in time and effort, and make preparations which cannot be completed.  

 

Freedom - relatively speaking

I broke my foot on September 19. It was the fifth metatarsal (the one longish-bone in the middle of the foot linked to the smallest toe on the outside) of my right foot, to be accurate.  I wasn’t aware it was broken when it happened.  All I knew was that I lost balance, my right foot twisted under me, and I fell.  It hurt badly.  I dared not take off the shoe to check, afraid that I might not be able to put it back on. 

I limped to the nearest MTR station, stopping to ease the pain many times, and got home.  When I took off the shoe, the top of my foot was blue and swollen.  I knew it was bad, but not how bad it really was.  My wife put my foot in ice, elevated. 

On Monday X-ray confirmed that it was broken.  There was a deep V where the fifth metatarsal was cracked almost completely into two pieces, almost at the end closer to the ankle.  The doctor put my foot in an air cast, and I had to use a cane when I walk. I was thankful that I could take the cast off when I was not walking.  

The pain eased quite a bit as soon as my foot was put in the air cast.  And it gradually went away in the following weeks.  Two weeks after the break, a second X-ray confirmed that the broken bones did not shift.  There wasn’t much pain by that point.  

At 6 weeks, the pain had completely gone.  The deep V crack was still there in another X-ray, however.  So I was worried.  I started walking a little without the cast, but very carefully, and only for short distances.  

Sometimes I retain the cane with me, to remind myself not to walk too fast, and to warn people against bumping into me.  (It actually happened more than once.)

At 3 months, another X-ray indicated that the two broken pieces had fused into one.  The bottom of the deep V had filled in, leaving a fuzzy, smaller U at the top.  I can walk normally, even briskly, now.  But still no running.  I am thankful and, in fact, overjoyed for the relative freedom already!

Thank you for all the prayers!

 

Who does knowledge serve?

There are always people who seek to exploit, dominate, and oppress other people, some of whom are willing to take extreme measures, putting others in prison, even to death.  And there are always people who seek freedom, justice and happiness, not only for themselves but also for others, some of whom are willing to suffer, even to die.  What happens in Hong Kong is no exception. 

In the struggle, there are people with special skills, training, expertise, knowledge, which can serve either camp. Writers, lawyers, judges, teachers, economists, researchers, politicians, businessmen, … Knowledge is generally believed conducive to getting to know the truth.  And as the Bible says, the truth will set you free.  Hence it is reasonable to assume that such knowledgeable people will work for freedom, justice, and compassion.  

Hence it is ironic, sad, even despicable, that many people privileged in possession of such special knowledge, who should know better, who turns out to use their gift, advantage, to serve the oppressor.  To dress up oppression as instruction, brutality as justice, meanness as effectiveness, enforced silence as cheerful agreement, subservience as loyalty; to twist liberty as disturbance, exercise of rights as challenge to authority, spontaneity as conspiracy, sincere criticism as abject subversion.  

It is often difficult to judge another person’s motivation based on their actions and words.  One does not always know whether such deplorable actions are driven by misunderstanding, bias, or a desire for status, power, and wealth.  It is sad if the former, and despicable if the latter.  

There is no doubt that the truth will set us free. What is unsure is whether knowledge necessarily leads to truth.  Parents, teachers, adults, have a great responsibility in nurturing the youth.  But the ultimate responsibility is personal.  God help us. 

Service-Learning during the pandemic?

In the academic year from September 2020 to August 2021, the whole world was in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, which still has not yet been relaxed.  In a normal year, we send 600-700 students to serve in Mainland China, and 400 students to foreign countries.  Under the pandemic, travelling outside Hong Kong become impossible.  Many universities all over the world cancel their service-learning programs, completely or at least partially.  Many struggle to maintain the projects as much as possible.  PolyU is one of those.  

We have managed to offer as many courses and student places as we had been doing prior to the pandemic.  In fact, after an initial dip, we have be able to expand the number of places in response to the increased number of students.  Beyond Hong Kong, we were able to continue with projects on the Chinese Mainland, and several foreign countries.  Some of the countries we serve for the fist time.  Without being able to travel, we offer our services online.  Yet the service is not just conducted with words.  

We employ tangible tools and materials as much as possible.  We ship STEM toolkits, cameras - regular ones and sophisticated ones such as 360 degree cameras, virtual reality glasses, …, to local partners, and overseas ones.  We even shipped 150 sets of solar panel systems to Rwanda, and worked with local volunteers to install the panels for 150 households.  We never stop.  We are so proud of our teachers, assistant, and students.  We are grateful to our partners who continue to work with us.  We are grateful to our university and donors who continue to support us.  

In the current year and coming summer, God willing, we are and hope to be doing even more.  

So what if you gain the whole world, but lost your soul?

In a dim sum restaurant in Tsuen Wan, early in the morning on Tuesday at 7:30 am, the clients were mostly the elderly.  A grandma, 87, made a remark to her nephew, 65.  She was glad that the city is calm, now that the “black shirts” of 2019 are no longer making trouble.  She seems to speak for many people, particularly those favourable to the establishment.  Even for many who are more neutral, confrontation makes them uncomfortable, worries them.  They feel that disturbances are not good for business, and for their lives in general.  A calmer city lets them return to their old way of life.  

Those who are in power, in the establishment, rich, of course, are elated.  They retain, even enhance their power.  Those who oppose them, criticise them, are in prison, stripped of power and status, driven out of business, driven away from the city, or otherwise silenced.  They can go about making money, exercise their power, with so much less restraint than before.  What is not to like about the situation now?

Except that the calm is a deadly calm of despondency.  The silence is a result of hated suppression.  The calm is bought with injustice.  The situation reminds of a familiar verse from the Bible. “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” - from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 16, verse 26. 

Calmness in a society is normally a good thing. Unrest and confrontation is indeed usually bad for business, bad for living a normal life.  But if the calmness is bought with a loss of hope, loss of soul, what good is that?  If some people are getting rich and powerful, by stepping on the backs of those fallen, broken, brutally suppressed, what good is that?

It is doubly ironic that some Christian leaders are preaching submission and even active support for the oppressor, while turning a blind eye to the injustice.  They seem to value superficial calmness and material benefits over justice and compassion.   What in the world is happening?  Aren’t believers of God looking towards the future, to everlasting life beyond this world?  Shouldn’t Christians be willing to suffer temporarily for the sake of lasting righteousness?  Why, then, are we willing to sacrifice justice for the sake of a life of superficial and fleeting calmness, even material wealth?   

 

Hopefully, the desire for justice, for liberty, has not actually died - at leat not completely.  Hopefully, it is only a temporary setback, a time to recuperate, to rethink, to learn, to deepen, to strengthen, to educate.  True faith does not die.  It strengthens in adversity. God bless. 

When will the gloom be lifted?

When will the place feel like home again?

When will the guns exercise self-restrain, and be restrained?

When will the young not be regarded with suspicion and even hatred?

When will citizens not be considered pests?

When will the strong stop stomping on the weak?

When will the rich stop exploiting the poor?

When will those who hold the power persuade with reason rather than brute force?

When will the arrogant stop saying a deer is a horse?

When will the worse stop being sold as improvement? 

When will the self-serving stop claiming to be serving the public?

When will those who should know better stop using their skills to paint the dictator as a democrat?

When will the gloom be lifted?

When will God decide enough is enough?

Why is Fake News so hard to deal with?

Some people sees a post, likes something in it, and forwards the post - without bothering to check whether that something that they like is factual.  Perhaps they trust the source.  Perhaps they don’t care whether it is actually true or not.  Perhaps what they like is true, but the post contains other things that are not.  There are many reasons why things that are not true are permeating the Internet.  

But one of the most sinister is that much of the fake news come from powerful, resourceful organisations. Even political leaders, national governments. When a president, prime minister, spokesman, press secretary, chief of police, minister, …, puts out something that is not true, repeatedly, how does one tackle that?  When powerful, rich people buys up scholars to put out objective-sounding but factually wrong statements about the climate, industries, companies, the economy, events, …, how does one tackle that? 

For individual citizens, it is hopeless. News agencies, presumably, address that on behalf of the citizens, by pooling together resources, rigorous training, courageous investigations, and tireless devotion to finding the facts and reporting it.  Not all of them are trust worthy.  But over time, people find out the truth about these news agencies.  Generally, people know where they stand, who has what kind of bias, who to trust, and which is propaganda.  

But the powerful people who put out the fake news themselves know that relatively objective news agencies are a threat - to them.  So they harass them with threats, law suits, threaten their supporters, put reporters and operators in prison, shutting them down.  How a government deals with news agencies is an indicator of how fearful of the truth and authoritarian a government is.  Unfortunately, it is also a very powerful tactic in the hands of the powerful, ruthless and shameless.  

When a government cries about “fake news”, it may mean something very different from what we ordinary people think.  And when they claim to take action against “fake news”, it may actually mean the opposite.  Just like the word “democracy” - it means radically different things to different people.  

That is one of the main reason, perhaps the major reason, why fake news is so hard to tackle.      

The Dumbing down of Hong Kong

Hong Kong used to have an advantage in its people.  Hong Kong people had to work hard to survive.  Many were immigrants seeking new opportunities.  Refugees even., fleeing from war and oppressive situations. Such people had to be bold, quick, adaptive, and creative.  To take advantage of opportunities or even to create openings themselves.  People are not afraid to try new things when everything is new.  Particularly when you feel you have nothing to lose. Failure may mean that one loses face, time and money, that one has to start all over again.  It is a risk that many were willing to take. 

Sadly, that is no longer true.  Now many actions, words, and even thoughts are taboo.  The price for crossing the numerous, very fuzzy lines is so high.  It is no longer your face, time and money that is on the line.  It is your life, security, and freedom.  Some people also feel they have too much to lose.  Many have given up and moved away.  Many who are staying are scared of crossing the lines.  The people are advised, threateningly, “If you are in doubt, just don’t do it.”  The people are explicitly warned against risky actions, words, and even thoughts.  

Who can blame the people for playing it safe, doing only things that are known to be acceptable? A person cannot be easily compartmentalised.  Our personality drives every aspect of our lives.  When one is trained to be safe on one aspect of our lives, it is near impossible to be bold in another.  Innovation requires boldness, taking risks.  A people will become dumb and dull when it is trained to take the safe road all the time.  Such a people may be easy to tule over.  But will a dumb and dull people continue to be an asset in the long run?   

Working on the streets of Hung Hom - transport

Working on the streets in Hung Hom can be hard work, challenging, requiring much dexterity, unpleasant, even hazardous.

 

Delivering take-out on a bicycle.

Delivering cooking gas canisters on a bicycle.

Delivering goods on a push cart. 

Pushing madam in a wheelchair up a steep slope. 

Collecting trash on a cart. 

Handling two push carts full of trash at the same time, crossing a busy junction. 

Giving some car a traffic violation.  

Can you do it?

Spring Bookclub - Why do “Good” people disagree?

After a hiatus of 2 years forced on us by the coronavirus pandemic, Spring Bookclub reconvened this afternoon at our church.  30+ of us gathered at the church to discuss the question using Jonathan Haidt’s book as a basis for discussions.  We include additional material such as loads of practical examples familiar to us, such as the recent encounters with wild boars in Hong Kong.  We also include relevant input from the Bible and discussions on authoritarianism in addition to liberalism and conservatism.  Finally, having note the gulf of differences between the groups, what can we do to move forward?

The bookclub had started in 2013.  We meet once a month, whenever possible.  We do have to skip some months when the church calendar is extremely busy, such as Christmas, and when I am away on service-learning projects, typically in summer.  We read books on history, religion, science, philosophy, …, anything that pose challenges to our faith.  We want to understand the world, its affairs, and how we should respond.  

This time, we discuss how we make moral decisions.  How we think fast and slow.  How emotion dominates reason in our decision making.  How we make judgements quickly with intuition, then use reasoning to amend our judgments.  How our judgements affect others, whose judgements, in turn, affect us.  How we make decisions intuitively first, and then use reasoning to justify our decisions later.  How we think as a group, rather than as independent individuals.  …

We also discuss how we do what we know we should not, and not do what we should.  How the academic world avoids the spiritual domain.  How reason and faith should go hand in hand, rather than separately or even against each other. 

The discussion induced lots of sharing, and generated challenging questions. Much of which cannot be answered easily and quickly. For example, do we make decisions about faith intuitively and then use reason to justify them?  Are we condemned to let emotion dominate reason in our decisions?  That is just natural.  If these questions are easy to answer, then the world would not be in such a mess now.  But we should have the courage to face these questions head on.  They challenge us to go and study and think a lot more, both about the world, and with our faith.  But not to retreat into a shell and avoid having to face hard questions.  

Today we had a lively first session, out of a planned set of three.  We plan to convene again in January.  We are looking forward to it already.  God bless us all. 

Working on the Street - Odd Jobs

Health inspector taking a photo surreptitiously?

Migrant workers sending goods home. 

Catching a bite to eat on the job.

Clearing the mountains of ubiquitous styrofoam boxes.  

Collecting stamps - from supermarkets. 

Snapshots of just some of the hard working people on the streets.  

Working on the Street - Food

Common scenes on the street in Hung Hom - food related. 

Chopping bones.  Look at the size of that chopper, wielded by a regular-sized lady. 

Dressing up roasted meats.  Pork, chicken, ducks, pigeons, … Quintessentially Hong Kong food - found on the table in the most posh hotels as well as the humblest homes in public housing. 

Serving popular cooked dishes.  Relatively inexpensive way to have a decent meal.  Part of the reason many people, even families, do not cook anymore. 

Selling egg waffles, watched by admirers.  Many childhood treats have disappeared.  This seems to be going strong still.

Roasted chestnuts and yams.  Comfort food for the masses.  My favourites.  

Don’t walk too fast.  You are going to miss the fun on the street. 

Anita Mui

Looking back, It appears that this is the first time that I write about an entertainer.  I am not sure how to do it.  But I feel I should.  I went to see the movie Anita because I have heard so much about it.  Several of my friends, good friends, have been talking about it, writing in Facebook about it, deeply touched by it.  It seems they are touched by her singing and acting, loyalty to her friends, care for people who suffer, nostalgia for her times - which is also our times.  

So I went to see it.  I am not disappointed.  It is all that and more.  I have never paid to go to a concert at the Hung Hom Coliseum by pop singers.  But I love Mui’s deep voice.   There is something about her childhood in poverty, having to sing to earn a living when just a child, having to miss school, working so hard to succeed, courage to try so many new things, creating so many new images, being so loyal to people around her, and so generous in giving of herself.  Each of these is not totally common. But the combination is not commonly seen.  

There is also a feeling that even she might find it challenging to live through these times.  When many of the things that she did would have gotten her into trouble.  She would be under huge pressure to change sides, or at least to stay silent.  And the movie itself. It is amazing that it can be made, and shown in these times.  The people who made it are very smart, steering it in such a way that touch so many, without crossing so many hidden lines.  

We pray that the human spirit does not die.  That we continue to work hard for something that is worthy, have the courage to do the right thing, be kind to people and have faith.  May God help us.  

Global Classroom - Socially Responsible Leadership

This semester we are experimenting with yet another new initiative.  We have been cooperating with a course from the University of Maryland for a number of years.  Ours is a service-learning course with Socially Responsible Global Leadership.  Maryland’s is a course on Global Leadership.  We have 5 joint classes conducted jointly, in a global classroom format, through video conferencing.  For the rest of the time, each of us conduct our own teaching activities.  This format is not new.  

What is new is that, for the first time, we have opened our course to students from member universities of the University Social Responsibility Network.  Hence we are getting students from Xian Jiaotung University and Sichuan University in Mainland China, Kyoto University from Japan, and University of Pretoria from South Africa.  This is on top of our own students from Hong Kong, Korea, Kazakhstan, Mainland China, India and Taiwan.  This truly a cosmopolitan class. 

This year, we put the students to work on refugees.  They are split into 6 groups, with multiple nationalities in each group.  A student from Hong Kong can be working with a student from USA, another from Mainland China, and another from South Africa.  They can choose refugees from a specific country who are in another country, in transit or settled.  These include Afghans in Canada, Afghans in Germany, Somalians in Kenya,  hundreds of refugees cramped on a small boat on an open sea. etc.  They research on the issue, and make a proposal for a presentation on the group chosen.  At least 2 groups decided to present their case as the experience of a 16 year old girl living as a refugee in a foreign country, using realistic situations to issue their experience. There are lots of creative use of research, storytelling, narration, maps, photos, videos, animations, virtual exhibits, …  For example, at one point, a refugee fleeing from Somalia to Kenya was asked to fill in a health form, in a language, terminologies and concepts that she does not understand, …  When one is staring at such a form in front of you, knowing that filling it out properly has a great bearing on your future, how is one supposed to handle that?  

There is an interesting twist in the teaching team as well.  In the past, the joint course has been taught by 2 Chinese professors from PolyU, jointly with 2 Americans from Maryland.  At one point we had a Korean-black female professor from Maryland, but by and large they are white Americans.   This year Dr. G and myself stay mainly in the background.  Instead, teaching from our side is taken up mostly by Dr. S, who was originally from Mainland China subsequently educated in the USA, together with K, who has more experience in SL than almost everybody else in Hong Kong. On the Maryland side we have a teacher who was originally from Mainland China.  Hence the joint teaching team itself is a mix of background from Hong Kong, Mainland China and the USA.  

That is truly, a global, cross-cultural class on social responsibility and leadership.  It has become a vehicle on which we experiment with new pedagogies.  A lot of effort and resources has been put into it.  And the results have been exciting and encouraging.  More is going to come.  We are planning some new twists for the next cohort already. Another offering in the coming semester is going to involve some in person service projects, if the pandemic and the social distancing relaxes.  

Jiro and sushi

Would you pay 270 US dollars for 20 pieces of sushi?  In a restaurant with only 10 seats? In a subway station?  That you have to book months ahead?  That had won 3 Michelin stars? Served by a 85 year old chef?

Would you continue working when you are 85?  Not because you need the money but because you enjoy the work so much?

Would you want to work at the same job for 75 years?

Do you get bored on a holiday and want nothing but going back to work?

Would you spend half an hour massaging an octopus, to tenderise it?

Do you notice whether your customer is right handed or left handed and set the table accordingly?

Would you give up car racing to be a sushi chef?

Would you still want to work for your father when you are 50 years old?

Would you, as the second son, leave your father’s restaurant because your elder brother is destined to inherit it?  Just to open another restaurant exactly like your father’s?

Do you wonder how they auction tuna at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo?

If you wonder about any of these things, you might want to watch “Jiro dreams of sushi”.